Korea grants special residency status to Indonesian wildfire heroes

Lee Han-kyung, deputy chief of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters, delivers opening remarks during a pan-government meeting on wildfire recovery measures at Government Complex Seoul, Thursday. Courtesy of Ministry of the Interior and Safety

Korea will grant special residency status to three Indonesian nationals who helped evacuate elderly residents during a massive wildfire in the southeastern region last month, officials said Sunday.

The announcement came during a government emergency response meeting held in Sejong, where officials laid out new measures to prevent landslides in wildfire-hit areas and stabilize housing for thousands of displaced residents.

Lee Han-kyung, deputy chief of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters, said the three Indonesian nationals helped evacuate numerous elderly residents when a wildfire broke out in the eastern county of Uiseong on March 25 and spread to nearby coastal villages.

“These individuals risked their own safety to save lives,” Lee said. “We are deeply grateful for their bravery and have decided to grant them special contributor residency status.”

According to the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, the Indonesian nationals — including 31-year-old Sugi Anto — alerted villagers and helped evacuate them as flames approached the area.

The wildfire, among the largest in recent years, prompted the evacuation of more than 3,100 people. As of Sunday, about 2,460 evacuees had moved into temporary shelters such as community centers and training facilities, officials said.

To assist displaced residents, the government plans to issue an order next week for the construction of 1,406 modular housing units, determined through field consultations with local governments. A team of experts is advising authorities on site selection and installation.

The Korea Forest Service also announced it will complete emergency inspections of landslide-prone areas by Saturday and begin installing waterproof tarps and other protective measures before the summer monsoon season. A task force made up of government agencies and disaster experts will coordinate broader restoration efforts.

Meanwhile, nearly 989,000 relief items have been distributed to wildfire victims, along with psychological support in more than 8,500 cases. Public donations have reached 92.5 billion won ($63.3 million), with emergency living stipends of 3 million won set to be distributed to those affected by home damage or personal injury.

The central joint support center, set up on March 27, has handled more than 1,700 civil complaints, mostly related to housing restoration and agricultural recovery.

Authorities said the restoration of communications, water and sewage facilities has been completed, while power services are nearly fully restored, with a 99.9 percent recovery rate.

The government warned that large wildfires remain a threat through the end of April and called on local authorities and forestry officials to remain vigilant.